mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Kansas Chamber of Commerce released plan to safely restart state economy
https://files.constantcontact.com/a5...1c6955204a.pdf
https://files.constantcontact.com/a5...1c6955204a.pdf
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Kansas: Covid-19 cases - 46,002 cases; 481 deaths
- Thread starter mcphilbrick
- Start date
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Ks Dept Health Update
1588 cases
359 hospitalized
80 statewide deaths
cases by sex
female 847
male 736
Cases by age
0-9 years - 20
10 - 19 years - 34
20 - 34 years 287
35 - 44 years 228
45 - 54 years 284
55 - 64 years 297
65 - 74 years 211
75 - 84 years 122
85+ years 105
rates by race
White 915
lack 267
American Indian and Alaska Native 9
Asian 13
Other race 39
Note reported 345
rates by race for deaths
White - 45
black or African American - 26
not reported - 9
1588 cases
359 hospitalized
80 statewide deaths
cases by sex
female 847
male 736
Cases by age
0-9 years - 20
10 - 19 years - 34
20 - 34 years 287
35 - 44 years 228
45 - 54 years 284
55 - 64 years 297
65 - 74 years 211
75 - 84 years 122
85+ years 105
rates by race
White 915
lack 267
American Indian and Alaska Native 9
Asian 13
Other race 39
Note reported 345
rates by race for deaths
White - 45
black or African American - 26
not reported - 9
Attachments
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Not all hospitals in Kansas are publicly releasing info about how many COVID-19 cases they’re treating
WICHITA, Kansas — Flatten the curve: A phrase that didn’t mean anything two months ago is now the driving factor behind social distancing, stay-at-home orders and limiting the number of people who can gather in one place.
The idea is to make sure hospitals aren’t overrun with severe COVID-19 cases, as well as help hospitals conserve limited resources such as personal protective equipment.
But in Kansas there isn’t publicly available data on whether a hospital is close to filling up. And few are willing to share that information.
At this point, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said 327 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19, but it doesn’t provide which hospitals or whether patients have gone home.
Stormont Vail in Topeka is a rare exception. Every day, the hospital publishes a dashboard with information like how many patients it’s treating for COVID-19, ventilator usage and tests administered. While it strays from giving specific numbers of available beds, it does provide a percentage of how many of its hospital and intensive care beds are in use.
“It displaces rumor,” Stormont Vail CEO Dr. Rob Kenagy said of releasing the information. “It displaces fear.”
He said early on there were a lot of questions from the community and staff about whether the hospital would be the next Italy, Spain or New York City in terms of being overwhelmed. In their crisis plan, he said, transparency seemed like the best option.
The hospital is also providing a daily color-coded indicator of where they stand with personal protective equipment; green for good, yellow for getting low and red for critical need.
“If we were to get into a place where our capacity would be tested, we felt like it would be best for our community and our team members to know the detail of those capacity constraints,” Kenagy said.
Lawrence Memorial Hospital sends out a similar daily dashboard.
The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, isn’t going quite that far. But it has provided a daily total of how many COVID-19 cases it’s treating — hovering at about 30 for a few days.
“That’s really what’s telling us where we are on the curve because we haven’t tested enough people out in the community,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System. “We don’t have the same public health structure we once did. We don’t have the same testing we once had.”
In a news conference Tuesday, he said stagnant hospitalization numbers likely mean that the Kansas City area is flattening the curve.
Meanwhile, most other hospitals are keeping mum. Salina Regional Health Center, Saint Catherine Hospital in Garden City and the St. Luke’s Hospital system declined to provide capacity information. Ascension Via Christi in Wichita and HCA hospitals in the Kansas City metro did not respond to a request for data.
Some might not be used to giving out the information, others may be worried about competitors knowing any weaknesses. Either way, the information exists. It’s just not public.
The Kansas Hospital Association provides services for and lobbies on behalf of Kansas hospitals. In an emailed statement, KHA vice president Cindy Samuelson said its members are working with government officials on a daily basis to monitor and report system capacity, as well as planning for increased demand.
PREDICTING THE FUTURE
The good news, if there is such a thing during a pandemic, is that one of the main models predicting hospital resource use shows Kansas will have plenty of capacity.
Kansas is expected to reach peak resource use on April 20, needing 485 beds for coronavirus patients, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The organization’s model shows the state has enough capacity for 4,810 COVID-19 patients. (IMHE calculated capacity based on a hospital’s total number of beds minus their historical average daily use for other types of patients.)
“Quite honestly, we’re not at capacity yet,” KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said. “We have a lot of ability to surge in terms of the beds and the type of beds.”
Even the worst-case scenario of the IMHE model predicts Kansas would need only about 1,500 hospital beds — again, well under the system’s total capacity.
But a model is only as good as its assumptions, and doesn’t represent the individual needs of each region or hospital.
“If you actually have real data, that trumps any kind of model,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and researcher at John Hopkins University. “We want our models to accurately reflect reality, but they’re not a substitute for reality.”
Local hospital administrators agreed that making sure the actual hospitalization numbers line up with the latest model depends on continued social distancing and staying at home efforts.
“The fact is that it has helped a tremendous amount,” Kenagy said. “And we will be able to weather the size of the surge.”
Shawnee Mission Post (Shawnee, KS) - https://bit.ly/2VzkylL
WICHITA, Kansas — Flatten the curve: A phrase that didn’t mean anything two months ago is now the driving factor behind social distancing, stay-at-home orders and limiting the number of people who can gather in one place.
The idea is to make sure hospitals aren’t overrun with severe COVID-19 cases, as well as help hospitals conserve limited resources such as personal protective equipment.
But in Kansas there isn’t publicly available data on whether a hospital is close to filling up. And few are willing to share that information.
At this point, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said 327 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19, but it doesn’t provide which hospitals or whether patients have gone home.
Stormont Vail in Topeka is a rare exception. Every day, the hospital publishes a dashboard with information like how many patients it’s treating for COVID-19, ventilator usage and tests administered. While it strays from giving specific numbers of available beds, it does provide a percentage of how many of its hospital and intensive care beds are in use.
“It displaces rumor,” Stormont Vail CEO Dr. Rob Kenagy said of releasing the information. “It displaces fear.”
He said early on there were a lot of questions from the community and staff about whether the hospital would be the next Italy, Spain or New York City in terms of being overwhelmed. In their crisis plan, he said, transparency seemed like the best option.
The hospital is also providing a daily color-coded indicator of where they stand with personal protective equipment; green for good, yellow for getting low and red for critical need.
“If we were to get into a place where our capacity would be tested, we felt like it would be best for our community and our team members to know the detail of those capacity constraints,” Kenagy said.
Lawrence Memorial Hospital sends out a similar daily dashboard.
The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, isn’t going quite that far. But it has provided a daily total of how many COVID-19 cases it’s treating — hovering at about 30 for a few days.
“That’s really what’s telling us where we are on the curve because we haven’t tested enough people out in the community,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System. “We don’t have the same public health structure we once did. We don’t have the same testing we once had.”
In a news conference Tuesday, he said stagnant hospitalization numbers likely mean that the Kansas City area is flattening the curve.
Meanwhile, most other hospitals are keeping mum. Salina Regional Health Center, Saint Catherine Hospital in Garden City and the St. Luke’s Hospital system declined to provide capacity information. Ascension Via Christi in Wichita and HCA hospitals in the Kansas City metro did not respond to a request for data.
Some might not be used to giving out the information, others may be worried about competitors knowing any weaknesses. Either way, the information exists. It’s just not public.
The Kansas Hospital Association provides services for and lobbies on behalf of Kansas hospitals. In an emailed statement, KHA vice president Cindy Samuelson said its members are working with government officials on a daily basis to monitor and report system capacity, as well as planning for increased demand.
PREDICTING THE FUTURE
The good news, if there is such a thing during a pandemic, is that one of the main models predicting hospital resource use shows Kansas will have plenty of capacity.
Kansas is expected to reach peak resource use on April 20, needing 485 beds for coronavirus patients, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The organization’s model shows the state has enough capacity for 4,810 COVID-19 patients. (IMHE calculated capacity based on a hospital’s total number of beds minus their historical average daily use for other types of patients.)
“Quite honestly, we’re not at capacity yet,” KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said. “We have a lot of ability to surge in terms of the beds and the type of beds.”
Even the worst-case scenario of the IMHE model predicts Kansas would need only about 1,500 hospital beds — again, well under the system’s total capacity.
But a model is only as good as its assumptions, and doesn’t represent the individual needs of each region or hospital.
“If you actually have real data, that trumps any kind of model,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and researcher at John Hopkins University. “We want our models to accurately reflect reality, but they’re not a substitute for reality.”
Local hospital administrators agreed that making sure the actual hospitalization numbers line up with the latest model depends on continued social distancing and staying at home efforts.
“The fact is that it has helped a tremendous amount,” Kenagy said. “And we will be able to weather the size of the surge.”
Shawnee Mission Post (Shawnee, KS) - https://bit.ly/2VzkylL
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Wilson County, Kansas marks 1st positive case of COVID-19
FREDONIA, Kan. — The Wilson County Health Department says the moment they have been preparing for has officially arrived.
The county’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
The patient is a woman in her 90’s.
She has been hospitalized and had been tested for COVID-19.
She was released from the hospital when she had been fever-free for more than 72 hours, and her test results were officially confirmed today.
KSN (Wichita) - https://bit.ly/2VvKjDw
FREDONIA, Kan. — The Wilson County Health Department says the moment they have been preparing for has officially arrived.
The county’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
The patient is a woman in her 90’s.
She has been hospitalized and had been tested for COVID-19.
She was released from the hospital when she had been fever-free for more than 72 hours, and her test results were officially confirmed today.
KSN (Wichita) - https://bit.ly/2VvKjDw
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
SMITH COUNTY REPORTS FIRST COVID-19 CASE
SMITH CENTER – The Smith County Health Department reported their first COVID-19 case on Tuesday.
The case is a female over the age of 60 with no known travel history. She is currently maintaining in-home isolation and is stable. The Smith County Health Department is working diligently to identify any close contacts of the individual and those who were exposed will be contacted as soon as possible.
Beloit Call (Beloit, KS) - https://bit.ly/3afq1Ub
SMITH CENTER – The Smith County Health Department reported their first COVID-19 case on Tuesday.
The case is a female over the age of 60 with no known travel history. She is currently maintaining in-home isolation and is stable. The Smith County Health Department is working diligently to identify any close contacts of the individual and those who were exposed will be contacted as soon as possible.
Beloit Call (Beloit, KS) - https://bit.ly/3afq1Ub
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Cluster of COVID-19 cases confirmed at nursing home in Clearwater
A cluster of positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at a senior living facility in Clearwater. One of the residents has died from the disease.
In total, four residents at the Clearwater Nursing & Rehab Center tested positive for COVID-19. The Sedgwick County Health Department says it's working to identify all those who have made contact with the residents so they can be properly quarantined or isolated.
FOX Kansas - https://bit.ly/3bfgiOR
A cluster of positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at a senior living facility in Clearwater. One of the residents has died from the disease.
In total, four residents at the Clearwater Nursing & Rehab Center tested positive for COVID-19. The Sedgwick County Health Department says it's working to identify all those who have made contact with the residents so they can be properly quarantined or isolated.
FOX Kansas - https://bit.ly/3bfgiOR
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Four more deaths reported at KCK’s Riverbend nursing facility
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Four additional coronavirus deaths have been reported at a Kansas City, Kansas nursing facility.
The deaths were reported on Thursday at Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation, bringing the total number of resident deaths to 19.
So far, 92 residents and 24 staff members at Riverbend have tested positive for COVID-19. 10 residents are currently hospitalized.
Dr. Allen Greiner, Chief Medical Officer with the Unified Government’s Public Health Department said people who have spent time inside the facility are most at risk.
“We recognize that community members in the neighborhoods surrounding the Riverbend facility are concerned for the safety of themselves and their neighbors. The highest risk connected to this cluster of cases is for anyone who has spent time inside the facility, in close contact with residents or staff who are infected.”
Griener says people in surrounding neighborhoods who have not been inside the facility are not at higher risk than other Wyandotte County residents.
“People in the surrounding neighborhoods who have not been inside the Riverbend building or in close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 10 minutes) with someone who has COVID-19 are not likely to be at higher risk than anyone else living in Wyandotte County,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to stay home as much as possible and follow instructions in Governor Laura Kelly’s stay at home order.
Fox4 (Kansas City) - https://bit.ly/3etah3f
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Four additional coronavirus deaths have been reported at a Kansas City, Kansas nursing facility.
The deaths were reported on Thursday at Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation, bringing the total number of resident deaths to 19.
So far, 92 residents and 24 staff members at Riverbend have tested positive for COVID-19. 10 residents are currently hospitalized.
Dr. Allen Greiner, Chief Medical Officer with the Unified Government’s Public Health Department said people who have spent time inside the facility are most at risk.
“We recognize that community members in the neighborhoods surrounding the Riverbend facility are concerned for the safety of themselves and their neighbors. The highest risk connected to this cluster of cases is for anyone who has spent time inside the facility, in close contact with residents or staff who are infected.”
Griener says people in surrounding neighborhoods who have not been inside the facility are not at higher risk than other Wyandotte County residents.
“People in the surrounding neighborhoods who have not been inside the Riverbend building or in close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 10 minutes) with someone who has COVID-19 are not likely to be at higher risk than anyone else living in Wyandotte County,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to stay home as much as possible and follow instructions in Governor Laura Kelly’s stay at home order.
Fox4 (Kansas City) - https://bit.ly/3etah3f
Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) Quick Stats
(Preliminary Numbers, Subject to Change)
Updated 4/17//2020
• There were 1,705 cases from 66 counties with 84 deaths reported as of 11 a.m.
• There have been 375 of 1,377 cases that have been hospitalized.
• There have been 15,196 negative tests conducted at KDHE and private labs.
• Age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 52 years)
• There have been 398 positive tests at KHEL and 1,307 at private labs.
• 901 cases are female and 794 are male and 10 unknown.
https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/D...update-numbers
(Preliminary Numbers, Subject to Change)
Updated 4/17//2020
• There were 1,705 cases from 66 counties with 84 deaths reported as of 11 a.m.
• There have been 375 of 1,377 cases that have been hospitalized.
• There have been 15,196 negative tests conducted at KDHE and private labs.
• Age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 52 years)
• There have been 398 positive tests at KHEL and 1,307 at private labs.
• 901 cases are female and 794 are male and 10 unknown.
https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/D...update-numbers
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Kanssa Dept Health Update
April 17, 2020
1705 cases
375 Hospitalizations
84 deaths
15196 negative tests
Cases by sex
female 901
male 794
Cases by age grou
0-9 years - 25
10 - 19 years - 43
20-34 year - 311
35044 years - 249
45 - 54 years 298
55-64 years - 311
65-74 years - 225
75-84 years - 132
85+ years - 111
Rates by race for all cases
white - 997
black 280
American Indian and Alaska Native - 9
Asian - 20
Other Race - 43
not reported - 356
Rates by race for deaths
White - 47
Black or African American - 27
not reported - 10
April 17, 2020
1705 cases
375 Hospitalizations
84 deaths
15196 negative tests
Cases by sex
female 901
male 794
Cases by age grou
0-9 years - 25
10 - 19 years - 43
20-34 year - 311
35044 years - 249
45 - 54 years 298
55-64 years - 311
65-74 years - 225
75-84 years - 132
85+ years - 111
Rates by race for all cases
white - 997
black 280
American Indian and Alaska Native - 9
Asian - 20
Other Race - 43
not reported - 356
Rates by race for deaths
White - 47
Black or African American - 27
not reported - 10
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Sen. Jerry Moran calls for widespread COVID-19 testing in Kansas, U.S.
WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Friday called for widespread COVID-19 testing across Kansas and the U.S. during a media update hosted by the University of Kansas Health System.
"Widespread testing is one of the most important factors in how we can safely get our lives back to normal and businesses can start to reopen,” Sen. Moran says. “I have spoken directly with President ***** and a number of my colleagues in the Senate regarding testing, and I will continue to do everything I can to get more people tested in Kansas and across the country as a member of the White House Economic Recovery Task Force. For our economy to recover, we need widespread testing so Americans can feel secure in their health and safely return to work.”
Joining Moran in Friday's media update were Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Dr. Lee Norman, The University of Kansas Health System Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control Dr. Dana Hawkinson and health system Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steve Stites.
Stites echoed Moran's comments on the importance of increasing testing.
“One of the things that has happened because of limited testing…is that we had to limit testing to patients admitted to the hospital as a person under investigation, a patient in a high-risk disease category, or health care workers with possible symptoms,” Dr. Stites says. “As we get more testing availability, then we will be able to loosen those criteria and test a lot more frequently. That is really important for us to understand how the disease is acting in the public and what we need to do. I have lots of appreciation for Sen. Moran’s support and him working so hard to get more testing.”
When it comes to testing, Kansas lags behind, having fewer tests than most, if not all other states. Dr. Norman says it's a good news/bad news week for Kansas when looking at the state's numbers.
He says Kansas is sorely lacking in testing supplies and no blood testing approved by the FDA is available, at least not yet.
"That will be one of the things that will be one piece to the puzzle," Dr. Norman says.
He acknowledged Kansas' low standing when it comes to testing.
"You might have seen that there's a couple of rankings that have us, Kansas, 50th out of 50 states on a per-capita basis for testing," he says. "I assure you and the others, it's not like we're hoarding testing supplies or selling them on the black market or something. We are using everything that we get in the door. Fortunately, there's commercial labs, there's hospital labs that have stood up, although the hospital labs have the same difficulty getting testing materials. That has absolutely been the rate-limiting factor."
The good news, Dr. Norman says, is that while efforts to increase testing continue, Kansas is doing well overall when looking at the number of COVID-19 related deaths per capita.
'"We're better than 33 states. We're in the top 17 in the country and on hospitalizations per capita, we're about the middle of the pack," he says.
The key to improving those numbers farther is being able to identify positive cases earlier and then being able to effectively quarantine and temporarily isolate those identified as risks of further spreading the virus, Dr. Norman says.
Looking at the state's numbers, Dr. Norman says he's optimistic Kansas will reach the peak in COVID-19 cases, arriving at a point from which we'll see gradual, steady improvement.
The state's stay-at-home order remains in effect at least until May 3. Dr. Norman didn't say whether the order could be extended. More local decisions on stay-at-home orders and whether to extend them will come on a county-by-county basis, he says.
Another point Moran addressed with the doctors concerns comparisons to the flu.
Proportionately, dr. Stites says, "We don't see this number of admissions coming into the hospital with influenza, nor do we see anywhere near this number of deaths from influenza."
While the total number of influenza-related deaths in a typical year exceeds COVID-19 deaths so to this point, doctors point out "were still at the tip of the iceberg for COVID-19," and currently, there is no vaccine for the virus.
KWCH12 - https://bit.ly/2zaPVeZ
WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Friday called for widespread COVID-19 testing across Kansas and the U.S. during a media update hosted by the University of Kansas Health System.
"Widespread testing is one of the most important factors in how we can safely get our lives back to normal and businesses can start to reopen,” Sen. Moran says. “I have spoken directly with President ***** and a number of my colleagues in the Senate regarding testing, and I will continue to do everything I can to get more people tested in Kansas and across the country as a member of the White House Economic Recovery Task Force. For our economy to recover, we need widespread testing so Americans can feel secure in their health and safely return to work.”
Joining Moran in Friday's media update were Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Dr. Lee Norman, The University of Kansas Health System Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control Dr. Dana Hawkinson and health system Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steve Stites.
Stites echoed Moran's comments on the importance of increasing testing.
“One of the things that has happened because of limited testing…is that we had to limit testing to patients admitted to the hospital as a person under investigation, a patient in a high-risk disease category, or health care workers with possible symptoms,” Dr. Stites says. “As we get more testing availability, then we will be able to loosen those criteria and test a lot more frequently. That is really important for us to understand how the disease is acting in the public and what we need to do. I have lots of appreciation for Sen. Moran’s support and him working so hard to get more testing.”
When it comes to testing, Kansas lags behind, having fewer tests than most, if not all other states. Dr. Norman says it's a good news/bad news week for Kansas when looking at the state's numbers.
He says Kansas is sorely lacking in testing supplies and no blood testing approved by the FDA is available, at least not yet.
"That will be one of the things that will be one piece to the puzzle," Dr. Norman says.
He acknowledged Kansas' low standing when it comes to testing.
"You might have seen that there's a couple of rankings that have us, Kansas, 50th out of 50 states on a per-capita basis for testing," he says. "I assure you and the others, it's not like we're hoarding testing supplies or selling them on the black market or something. We are using everything that we get in the door. Fortunately, there's commercial labs, there's hospital labs that have stood up, although the hospital labs have the same difficulty getting testing materials. That has absolutely been the rate-limiting factor."
The good news, Dr. Norman says, is that while efforts to increase testing continue, Kansas is doing well overall when looking at the number of COVID-19 related deaths per capita.
'"We're better than 33 states. We're in the top 17 in the country and on hospitalizations per capita, we're about the middle of the pack," he says.
The key to improving those numbers farther is being able to identify positive cases earlier and then being able to effectively quarantine and temporarily isolate those identified as risks of further spreading the virus, Dr. Norman says.
Looking at the state's numbers, Dr. Norman says he's optimistic Kansas will reach the peak in COVID-19 cases, arriving at a point from which we'll see gradual, steady improvement.
The state's stay-at-home order remains in effect at least until May 3. Dr. Norman didn't say whether the order could be extended. More local decisions on stay-at-home orders and whether to extend them will come on a county-by-county basis, he says.
Another point Moran addressed with the doctors concerns comparisons to the flu.
Proportionately, dr. Stites says, "We don't see this number of admissions coming into the hospital with influenza, nor do we see anywhere near this number of deaths from influenza."
While the total number of influenza-related deaths in a typical year exceeds COVID-19 deaths so to this point, doctors point out "were still at the tip of the iceberg for COVID-19," and currently, there is no vaccine for the virus.
KWCH12 - https://bit.ly/2zaPVeZ
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Kansas ranked worst for COVID-19 testing, an issue Gov. Kelly took to the White House
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -
Kansas is ranked the worst in the country for coronavirus testing, but thanks to extra supplies and less strict guidelines, hopefully that’s about to change.
Kansas governor Laura Kelly made the awkward announcement to the country on CNN Thursday.
“I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that Kansas ranks 50th in per capita testing, you know, we have had a very difficult time getting access to tests and all of the stuff you need to complete those tests. So that was part of the conversation I had with the White House,” said Gov. Kelly.
Data released by the Reno County Health Department shows Kansas is testing only about 495 people per 100,000 for the virus… Last in the country.
It’s something the governor said she discussed with President ***** and other state leaders Thursday in a conference call.
Hopefully, those numbers will soon change.
“The great news is that KDHE, their state lab KHEL, they've loosened up the criteria,” said Adrienne Byrne, Sedgwick County Health Director.
Until now, Sedgwick County, which accounts for more than 500,000 residents, was only allowed to test people over the age of 60 with pre-existing conditions, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
Under the new guidelines from KDHE, the county can now test anyone who has a fever and just one other related symptom, like cough, congestion, or body aches. The change has already dramatically increased the testing rate.
“It's been really frustrating, and I'm sure very, very frustrating for the community as well, that they've been ill and they've been turned down to be tested,” said Byrne.
The governor believes her conversation with the White House was productive. Now, she said the state is working on a new plan of attack.
“I'm going to be taking all of this information and putting it together in a way that makes sense for Kansas,” said Gov. Kelly.
Since Sedgwick county can now process so many more people for testing, it's encouraging anyone who is feeling ill to call 2-1-1 to schedule an appointment.
KAKE - https://bit.ly/2ypJyDY
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -
Kansas is ranked the worst in the country for coronavirus testing, but thanks to extra supplies and less strict guidelines, hopefully that’s about to change.
Kansas governor Laura Kelly made the awkward announcement to the country on CNN Thursday.
“I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that Kansas ranks 50th in per capita testing, you know, we have had a very difficult time getting access to tests and all of the stuff you need to complete those tests. So that was part of the conversation I had with the White House,” said Gov. Kelly.
Data released by the Reno County Health Department shows Kansas is testing only about 495 people per 100,000 for the virus… Last in the country.
It’s something the governor said she discussed with President ***** and other state leaders Thursday in a conference call.
Hopefully, those numbers will soon change.
“The great news is that KDHE, their state lab KHEL, they've loosened up the criteria,” said Adrienne Byrne, Sedgwick County Health Director.
Until now, Sedgwick County, which accounts for more than 500,000 residents, was only allowed to test people over the age of 60 with pre-existing conditions, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
Under the new guidelines from KDHE, the county can now test anyone who has a fever and just one other related symptom, like cough, congestion, or body aches. The change has already dramatically increased the testing rate.
“It's been really frustrating, and I'm sure very, very frustrating for the community as well, that they've been ill and they've been turned down to be tested,” said Byrne.
The governor believes her conversation with the White House was productive. Now, she said the state is working on a new plan of attack.
“I'm going to be taking all of this information and putting it together in a way that makes sense for Kansas,” said Gov. Kelly.
Since Sedgwick county can now process so many more people for testing, it's encouraging anyone who is feeling ill to call 2-1-1 to schedule an appointment.
KAKE - https://bit.ly/2ypJyDY
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Church conference in Kansas City, Kansas, linked to 44 COVID-19 cases, five deaths
A cluster of coronavirus cases tied to a church conference in Kansas City, Kansas, has grown to 44 cases and five deaths, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Thursday.
Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ at 2106 Quindaro Boulevard hosted the Kansas East Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction’s Ministers and Workers Conference from March 16-22.
The Wyandotte County Health Department believes 150 to 200 people attended the event.
KDHE announced March 31 that multiple people at the gathering may have been exposed to the virus. At that time, at least seven cases were said to be connected to the church gathering.
By April 8, that number had climbed to 15.
A spokeswoman for Kansas East Jurisdiction, the organizers of the conference, said they had implemented safety measures and continue to take the situation seriously. Since the conference concluded, the organization has notified attendees about positive cases and encouraged those who may have been impacted to get tested.
According to Wyandotte County, 16 of the 44 cases involve residents of the county.
The state health department said 19 of the church cases involve hospitalizations.
Wyandotte County has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. As of Thursday, 379 cases including 34 deaths have been reported there.
More than two-thirds of the people dying from the virus in the county are black, according to newly released data by county health officials. The county launched an equity task force this week to address the disparities.
The state’s largest outbreak is at Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation, a nursing facility in Kansas City, Kansas, where 116 cases and 19 deaths have been reported.
Kansas City Star - https://bit.ly/2XId3vp
A cluster of coronavirus cases tied to a church conference in Kansas City, Kansas, has grown to 44 cases and five deaths, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Thursday.
Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ at 2106 Quindaro Boulevard hosted the Kansas East Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction’s Ministers and Workers Conference from March 16-22.
The Wyandotte County Health Department believes 150 to 200 people attended the event.
KDHE announced March 31 that multiple people at the gathering may have been exposed to the virus. At that time, at least seven cases were said to be connected to the church gathering.
By April 8, that number had climbed to 15.
A spokeswoman for Kansas East Jurisdiction, the organizers of the conference, said they had implemented safety measures and continue to take the situation seriously. Since the conference concluded, the organization has notified attendees about positive cases and encouraged those who may have been impacted to get tested.
According to Wyandotte County, 16 of the 44 cases involve residents of the county.
The state health department said 19 of the church cases involve hospitalizations.
Wyandotte County has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. As of Thursday, 379 cases including 34 deaths have been reported there.
More than two-thirds of the people dying from the virus in the county are black, according to newly released data by county health officials. The county launched an equity task force this week to address the disparities.
The state’s largest outbreak is at Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation, a nursing facility in Kansas City, Kansas, where 116 cases and 19 deaths have been reported.
Kansas City Star - https://bit.ly/2XId3vp
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Ford County now has 84 COVID-19 cases according to KDHE; County claims KDHE numbers don’t always match
DODGE CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – The Ford County Health Department said the county has 16 new cases of coronavirus as of Friday.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the county now has 84 total cases. The highest in southwest Kansas.
Ford County released this statement:
The Ford County Health Department encourages everyone to continue practicing proper and efficient hand washing, staying-at-home and social distancing when having to shop for groceries and/or go to work.
The Ford County Geographic Information system (GIS) team developed the following resource to a reliable source of comprehensive factual information relating to COVID-19.
KSN - https://bit.ly/2Vk8k1E
DODGE CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – The Ford County Health Department said the county has 16 new cases of coronavirus as of Friday.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the county now has 84 total cases. The highest in southwest Kansas.
Ford County released this statement:
“The increase in cases the last few days is attributed to the health department investigation team identifying close contacts of already confirmed positive cases. We do not have evidence of community spread even though we have seen a lot of new cases recently. We have been able to identify the main sources of spread, have been in contact with them and their close contacts, ordered multiple tests and issued quarantines. Since we are identifying more contacts, we are testing more people and that will increase the amount of positive cases. Each positive case has been cooperative, following all quarantine orders and the early cases are recovering at home. If, at any time, we feel that a source of spread is a “public place,” we will work with that agency/business/entity to provide information to the public. Other counties are announcing which “public places” are sources of spread because their cases are different than ours – we don’t have any “public places” that are sources of spread. We have been able to specifically identify the original positive cases and who they were in contact with and all of those individuals have been identified, evaluated, tested and quarantined if necessary. One major note is that many individuals were not practicing social distancing and/or observing the stay-at-home order and that has contributed to more exposures to close contacts resulting in more positive cases.
Also, there are questions about the total number of cases vs. the numbers that KDHE provides in their reports. The county is reporting all positive / presumptive positive cases. KDHE is responsible for reporting on all 105 counties in Kansas so their staff cannot always add cases to the system the same time we do, so our numbers will not always match. That has to do with timing between each local health department and KDHE. This is the main reason why we are not reporting a “running total” of cases because our reports may not always match KDHE’s reports on a daily basis. So, we provide only the facts that we have in front of us at the time of each report. Even if KDHE’s numbers differ from ours, we are still investigating every single case we have in front of us.
-J.D. Gilbert, B.S., M.B.A.
Also, there are questions about the total number of cases vs. the numbers that KDHE provides in their reports. The county is reporting all positive / presumptive positive cases. KDHE is responsible for reporting on all 105 counties in Kansas so their staff cannot always add cases to the system the same time we do, so our numbers will not always match. That has to do with timing between each local health department and KDHE. This is the main reason why we are not reporting a “running total” of cases because our reports may not always match KDHE’s reports on a daily basis. So, we provide only the facts that we have in front of us at the time of each report. Even if KDHE’s numbers differ from ours, we are still investigating every single case we have in front of us.
-J.D. Gilbert, B.S., M.B.A.
The Ford County Health Department encourages everyone to continue practicing proper and efficient hand washing, staying-at-home and social distancing when having to shop for groceries and/or go to work.
The Ford County Geographic Information system (GIS) team developed the following resource to a reliable source of comprehensive factual information relating to COVID-19.
KSN - https://bit.ly/2Vk8k1E
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Kansas nursing home's COVID-19 deaths at 15
A Kansas City, Kansas, nursing and rehabilitation home has seen three more COVID-19-related deaths to bring its total to 15, and the state health department plans to bring on 400 volunteers to help trace people who’ve had contacts with people infected with coronavirus.
The outbreak at the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation home in Wyandotte County has become the state’s largest coronavirus cluster. The number of confirmed cases increased Thursday to 1,588, an increase of 94 cases from Wednesday. The number of deaths increased by four to 80.
Radio.com - https://bit.ly/2xFVAZX
A Kansas City, Kansas, nursing and rehabilitation home has seen three more COVID-19-related deaths to bring its total to 15, and the state health department plans to bring on 400 volunteers to help trace people who’ve had contacts with people infected with coronavirus.
The outbreak at the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation home in Wyandotte County has become the state’s largest coronavirus cluster. The number of confirmed cases increased Thursday to 1,588, an increase of 94 cases from Wednesday. The number of deaths increased by four to 80.
Radio.com - https://bit.ly/2xFVAZX
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Lyon County Public Health announces 10 more positive cases of COVID-19
Lyon County Public Health had been warning for nearly a week that a slow down in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was likely due, for the most part, to slow turnaround times in getting tests back.
Wednesday, those predictions proved to be true.
Lyon County Public Health announced it had 42 positive cases of COVID-19 in Wednesday’s situation report — up 10 from what was announced Tuesday. The number of presumed positive cases — 13 — was also a slight increase, up one from 24 hours earlier. Three more patients have recovered, bringing that total to 30.
With the large spike in confirmed positive test results, the county goes back up to 25 active cases.
Of the 55 total cases in Lyon County, 36 are in residents between ages 41-70. All 11 new cases are residents of Emporia, bringing the total in Lyon County’s largest town to 37 with 10 in north Lyon County and eight south of Emporia. Sixty percent of Lyon County’s cases have occurred in women.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced statewide the number of cases was up to 1,494 Wednesday, up 68 from Tuesday. It also reported 76 deaths, seven more than the day before.
COVID-19 is found most common in people ages 45-64 for Kansas as a whole, with that age range accounting for 37 percent of the positive cases. People who identify as “black or African American” have a higher rate of infection in Kansas, with 113.76 out of every 1,000 people contracting the coronavirus, compared to 32.93 out of every 1,000 of those who identified as “white.”
The KDHE reported that, as of 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, 175 people had been tested in Lyon County — though its number of positives did not include the 10 reported by Lyon County Public Health in the afternoon.
“You will notice a difference between the numbers we report and the numbers that gets reported by KDHE,” read a statement from Lyon County Public Health earlier this week. “Test results come in throughout the day and make it almost impossible to have the exact same numbers.”
Lyon County Public Health, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is strongly encouraging residents to wear masks when they must be out and about.
Local numbers are released in a situation report at 3 p.m. every day. KDHE reports its numbers shortly before noon daily.
Emporia Gazette - https://bit.ly/2zbC6gn
Lyon County Public Health had been warning for nearly a week that a slow down in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was likely due, for the most part, to slow turnaround times in getting tests back.
Wednesday, those predictions proved to be true.
Lyon County Public Health announced it had 42 positive cases of COVID-19 in Wednesday’s situation report — up 10 from what was announced Tuesday. The number of presumed positive cases — 13 — was also a slight increase, up one from 24 hours earlier. Three more patients have recovered, bringing that total to 30.
With the large spike in confirmed positive test results, the county goes back up to 25 active cases.
Of the 55 total cases in Lyon County, 36 are in residents between ages 41-70. All 11 new cases are residents of Emporia, bringing the total in Lyon County’s largest town to 37 with 10 in north Lyon County and eight south of Emporia. Sixty percent of Lyon County’s cases have occurred in women.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced statewide the number of cases was up to 1,494 Wednesday, up 68 from Tuesday. It also reported 76 deaths, seven more than the day before.
COVID-19 is found most common in people ages 45-64 for Kansas as a whole, with that age range accounting for 37 percent of the positive cases. People who identify as “black or African American” have a higher rate of infection in Kansas, with 113.76 out of every 1,000 people contracting the coronavirus, compared to 32.93 out of every 1,000 of those who identified as “white.”
The KDHE reported that, as of 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, 175 people had been tested in Lyon County — though its number of positives did not include the 10 reported by Lyon County Public Health in the afternoon.
“You will notice a difference between the numbers we report and the numbers that gets reported by KDHE,” read a statement from Lyon County Public Health earlier this week. “Test results come in throughout the day and make it almost impossible to have the exact same numbers.”
Lyon County Public Health, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is strongly encouraging residents to wear masks when they must be out and about.
Local numbers are released in a situation report at 3 p.m. every day. KDHE reports its numbers shortly before noon daily.
Emporia Gazette - https://bit.ly/2zbC6gn
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Saline County adds two COVID-19 cases
The Saline County Health Department has been notified of two positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.
This increases the number of cases to 15 in Saline County, up two from Tuesday.
One case is a woman in her 30s associated with a known close contact, while the other is a man in his 60s also associated with a known close contact. Both are currently isolated in their homes.
The city of Salina also announced that all outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts and skate parks are closed until further notice.
According to Salina Parks and Recreation, the closures were made in order for patrons to maintain social distancing.
Salina Journal - https://bit.ly/2Vijowf
The Saline County Health Department has been notified of two positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.
This increases the number of cases to 15 in Saline County, up two from Tuesday.
One case is a woman in her 30s associated with a known close contact, while the other is a man in his 60s also associated with a known close contact. Both are currently isolated in their homes.
The city of Salina also announced that all outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts and skate parks are closed until further notice.
According to Salina Parks and Recreation, the closures were made in order for patrons to maintain social distancing.
Salina Journal - https://bit.ly/2Vijowf
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Wyandotte County to offer free pop-up testing, focused on Latinos
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Mariana Ramirez, the director for JUNTOS Center for Advancing Latino Health, is calling for more widespread COVID-19 testing among Hispanic residents in Wyandotte County.
The latest numbers, she believes, are a bit deceiving. While Latinos make up 28% of Wyandotte County’s population, only 15% of positive tests are among the Latino community.
Ramirez and other health advocates fear the rate is likely much higher, but people aren’t getting tested.
“If we add that to the lack of health insurance, the lack of a primary care provider, to the fears related to immigration and underlying chronic conditions,” Ramirez said, “that’s the perfect soup for a virus to spread.”
That’s why the Wyandotte County Health Department is working with local faith and community organizations to spread the message about the importance of getting tested.
Early next week, health officials in the county will begin rolling out free, pop-up testing sites in the community.
“We know that there is a higher percentage of persons in the Latino and African-American community who are not able to stay at home and work by computer right now,” said Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy medical officer with the Unified Government Public Health Department. “They’re working in essential businesses and jobs and are being put at higher risk of both catching and spreading the virus.”
The Wyandotte County Health Department already offers free, drive-up testing from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Next week’s pop-up tests will also be free.
Health officials ask people to register first at the Unified Government’s COVID-19 website. Only people showing symptoms will be tested.
Fox4 - https://bit.ly/3ak7MNe
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Mariana Ramirez, the director for JUNTOS Center for Advancing Latino Health, is calling for more widespread COVID-19 testing among Hispanic residents in Wyandotte County.
The latest numbers, she believes, are a bit deceiving. While Latinos make up 28% of Wyandotte County’s population, only 15% of positive tests are among the Latino community.
Ramirez and other health advocates fear the rate is likely much higher, but people aren’t getting tested.
“If we add that to the lack of health insurance, the lack of a primary care provider, to the fears related to immigration and underlying chronic conditions,” Ramirez said, “that’s the perfect soup for a virus to spread.”
That’s why the Wyandotte County Health Department is working with local faith and community organizations to spread the message about the importance of getting tested.
Early next week, health officials in the county will begin rolling out free, pop-up testing sites in the community.
“We know that there is a higher percentage of persons in the Latino and African-American community who are not able to stay at home and work by computer right now,” said Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy medical officer with the Unified Government Public Health Department. “They’re working in essential businesses and jobs and are being put at higher risk of both catching and spreading the virus.”
The Wyandotte County Health Department already offers free, drive-up testing from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Next week’s pop-up tests will also be free.
Health officials ask people to register first at the Unified Government’s COVID-19 website. Only people showing symptoms will be tested.
Fox4 - https://bit.ly/3ak7MNe
Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) Quick Stats
(Preliminary Numbers, Subject to Change)
Updated 4/18//2020
• There were 1,790 cases from 66 counties with 86 deaths reported as of 11 a.m.
• There have been 383 of 1,472 cases that have been hospitalized.
• There have been 15,886 negative tests conducted at KDHE and private labs.
• Age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 52 years)
• There have been 422 positive tests at KHEL and 1,368 at private labs.
• 944 cases are female and 839 are male and 7 unknown.
...
https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/D...update-numbers
(Preliminary Numbers, Subject to Change)
Updated 4/18//2020
• There were 1,790 cases from 66 counties with 86 deaths reported as of 11 a.m.
• There have been 383 of 1,472 cases that have been hospitalized.
• There have been 15,886 negative tests conducted at KDHE and private labs.
• Age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 52 years)
• There have been 422 positive tests at KHEL and 1,368 at private labs.
• 944 cases are female and 839 are male and 7 unknown.
...
https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/D...update-numbers
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
COVID-19 cases at Clearwater nursing home rise to 11, including 1 death
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -
In the small town of Clearwater, just southwest of Wichita, the number of COVID-19 cases at a local nursing home rose to 11 on Thursday.
Mayor Burt Ussery said those who have tested positive at the Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center include eight patients who are currently hospitalized, two staff members, and one patient who died last week. The county reported four cases earlier this week.
Ussery said tests for 30 nursing home residents are expected Friday and results for a second group would follow.
This is the fifth COVID-19 cluster in Sedgwick County. The others include three churches and a business, but county officials have not named them.
"Under current testing guidelines, the only reason the facility patients were able to be tested was because the facility qualified as a 'cluster,'" Ussery said. "However, staff will only be tested by doctors’ orders and will not be tested unless they show symptoms."
KAKE's Eli Higgins talked by phone to a man who said he's worried about his wife who works at the center.
“To me, it's been like, you know, I'm worried about her getting it and bringing it home to me. And I'm not in the best of health,” said the family member. "She's not sure if she wants to go (back to work) or not at this point."
The death at the nursing home marked the 3rd in the county, and commissioner Michael O'Donnell expects it to get worse.
“We anticipate that the numbers will rise, both of those infected with the virus, and in deaths,” said O’Donnell.
Click here for the latest COVID-19 numbers
The county said it’s working to monitor and protect residents and staff at the nursing home.
The owner of the nursing home, Willie Novotny, said a resident started showing symptoms last Friday and tested positive for coronavirus. On Saturday, another resident tested positive and later died.
Novotny said the nursing home has 53 residents, the assisted living has 34 and the independent living has four. So far, all incidents of COVID-19 have been only reported in the nursing home.
"We have had 12 people total transported to the hospital, all testing positive. 2 of those have passed away. We have tested all residents in the facility and are awaiting results. We are deeply saddened for those we have lost, and ask everyone for their thoughts, prayers and patience while we work through this global pandemic," said Willie Novotny, owner of the facility.
Safety precautions consist of the following:
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -
In the small town of Clearwater, just southwest of Wichita, the number of COVID-19 cases at a local nursing home rose to 11 on Thursday.
Mayor Burt Ussery said those who have tested positive at the Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center include eight patients who are currently hospitalized, two staff members, and one patient who died last week. The county reported four cases earlier this week.
Ussery said tests for 30 nursing home residents are expected Friday and results for a second group would follow.
This is the fifth COVID-19 cluster in Sedgwick County. The others include three churches and a business, but county officials have not named them.
"Under current testing guidelines, the only reason the facility patients were able to be tested was because the facility qualified as a 'cluster,'" Ussery said. "However, staff will only be tested by doctors’ orders and will not be tested unless they show symptoms."
KAKE's Eli Higgins talked by phone to a man who said he's worried about his wife who works at the center.
“To me, it's been like, you know, I'm worried about her getting it and bringing it home to me. And I'm not in the best of health,” said the family member. "She's not sure if she wants to go (back to work) or not at this point."
The death at the nursing home marked the 3rd in the county, and commissioner Michael O'Donnell expects it to get worse.
“We anticipate that the numbers will rise, both of those infected with the virus, and in deaths,” said O’Donnell.
Click here for the latest COVID-19 numbers
The county said it’s working to monitor and protect residents and staff at the nursing home.
The owner of the nursing home, Willie Novotny, said a resident started showing symptoms last Friday and tested positive for coronavirus. On Saturday, another resident tested positive and later died.
Novotny said the nursing home has 53 residents, the assisted living has 34 and the independent living has four. So far, all incidents of COVID-19 have been only reported in the nursing home.
"We have had 12 people total transported to the hospital, all testing positive. 2 of those have passed away. We have tested all residents in the facility and are awaiting results. We are deeply saddened for those we have lost, and ask everyone for their thoughts, prayers and patience while we work through this global pandemic," said Willie Novotny, owner of the facility.
Safety precautions consist of the following:
- All residents are tested 2 times per day for symptoms. Any abnormal readings are immediately reported to the medical director who makes the decision regarding additional precautions or transport to the hospital.
- Entry into the facility is limited to staff and those involved in “end of life” matters with a resident. Anyone who does not meet these restrictions are not allow to enter.
- Anyone entering the facility is checked for the following symptoms and if present are not allowed to enter (a temperature of 100.4 or higher, a cough, or other respiratory concerns).
mcphilbrick
Well-known member
Covid-19 plasma clinical trial underway at Ascension Via Christi
KAKE (Wichita, KS) - https://bit.ly/2RNvT0A
KAKE (Wichita, KS) - https://bit.ly/2RNvT0A